Jan 18, 2016, 10:57 am
Last edit by: MaxVO
This thread is a continuation of: Airline fee $200/$100 reimbursement reports: DL only [2011 - 2015]
Credit posting delays range from several business days (typical) to several weeks (seen in Oct 2015). The T&Cs state that it could take up to four weeks, so wait at least that long before worrying, and certainly don't contact Amex prematurely
Caution: effective from 22 June 2019, gift card purchases from Delta do not get reimbursed.
Read this primer first
additional collections/split tender
THIS IS A LOOPHOLE. BE DISCREET
Anything coded as an additional collection (aka add/collect or a/c), including difference in fare when changing flights, and accepting an FCM offer, also triggers the credit and will be reimbursed; this may (insufficient data) only happen if the additional amount collected is below ~$250 (regardless of card type, e.g. there have been reports of full $100 credit for Gold card on a/c over $100 and full $200 credit for Plat on a/c over $200 but less than $250)
other non Gift Card options
(DEAD) eGift Card (eCert) details
This Section is not applicable effective 2019/06/22!
Credit posting delays range from several business days (typical) to several weeks (seen in Oct 2015). The T&Cs state that it could take up to four weeks, so wait at least that long before worrying, and certainly don't contact Amex prematurely
Caution: effective from 22 June 2019, gift card purchases from Delta do not get reimbursed.
Read this primer first
- In the Amex Membership Rewards family, both the Consumer and Business versions of the Platinum and Centurion cards qualify for a $200 airline credit. The Premier Rewards Gold (PRG) card is eligible for a $100 airline credit.
- You must
click here to<--(link dead) select Delta as your enrolled airline before you make a reimbursable purchase, else the benefit won't apply. The feature is activated immediately upon airline designation. Try logging in to your AMEX account and selecting the airline. This link may work - If you've selected DL in the past and don't wish to change airlines, there's no need to select again; current selection rolls into future years until modified.
- The T&Cs state the eligible charges, but YMMV, so don't call and ask especially about the fuzzier cases below because that will probably hasten closing of any loopholes.
- The credit is per account, not per card. If the main account has authorized users with additional cards, eligible charges may still be made on those cards, but they'll count jointly towards the same account limit.
- Credits are capped per calendar year, meaning you could tap the full amount on Dec 31st and again on Jan 1st in the extreme. Transaction date, not posting date, determines the year. Note: This is not my experience. I purchased Dec 31, 2016, posted Jan 1, 2017 and went against my 2017 credit. (TheMadBrewer)
- You will get a partial credit to bring your total annual reimbursements to the limit exactly if a qualifying charge takes you past the limit.
- After four weeks, if you've read this Wiki carefully and posted here seeking assistance but the credit still has not arrived, consider chatting with Amex online. Politely mention the "Delta extras" you thought would be reimbursed within four weeks and they'll handle it.
additional collections/split tender
THIS IS A LOOPHOLE. BE DISCREET
Anything coded as an additional collection (aka add/collect or a/c), including difference in fare when changing flights, and accepting an FCM offer, also triggers the credit and will be reimbursed; this may (insufficient data) only happen if the additional amount collected is below ~$250 (regardless of card type, e.g. there have been reports of full $100 credit for Gold card on a/c over $100 and full $200 credit for Plat on a/c over $200 but less than $250)
- Relevantly, split tender where you partially pay with a gift card, existing credit, VDB voucher etc. and partly charged to your card, are processed by DL as an add/collect and trigger the credit per above.
- Thus if you anticipate actually buying, say, a $200 DL ticket, you could buy a single $50 gift card, then buy the ticket using $50 GC and $150 on your card (the $150 will be reimbursed)
- Canceling a ticket within the 24-hour risk-free period generally results in funds being returned to where they came from (GC back to GC and CC back to CC). If you have no immediate travel plans but anticipate travel in the next year, consider buying a fully refundable ticket and then changing it later once you know your future travel dates. IF a lot of people suddenly start refunding tickets after getting the credit reimbursement this may hasten the demise of this particular loophole.
- Caution when buying multiple tickets: for example if you buy two $125 tickets in one transaction (total $250) and use one $100 GC or even two $50 GCs, they will all be applied to the same ticket and you would see one additional collection for $25 on that ticket and a separate "normal" charge for $125 for the second ticket. In this scenario only $25 will be reimbursed (instead of the $150 you might be expecting)
other non Gift Card options
- baggage and other service fees (same day change/standby, change fees, etc.)
- taxes on award flights
- in-flight purchases (EXCEPT wifi)
- SkyClub access/guest fees (but NOT gift cards purchased at a SC, which are actually activated at a 3rd party web site)
- mileage boosts (post 2499)
- The $59 for Delta Skymiles Select is reimbursed (posts 2180, 2182)
- seat assignment fees (may need to call in to have processed manually)
(DEAD) eGift Card (eCert) details
This Section is not applicable effective 2019/06/22!
- Delta eGift Cards (eCerts) have been reimbursed in practice, even though technically they do not meet the criteria listed by Amex for reimbursement. The name on the eCerts doesn't matter and need not match your card, but you must purchase using an eligible Amex card and meet the other criteria detailed in this Wiki.
- Denominations over $50 will not generate the credit. Multiple $50 eCerts will. The smallest denomination available is $50.
- To order, use this direct link to the eGift cert order page, or navigate via Delta.com>Shop>eGift Certificate.
- No need to place separate orders using multiple carts/checkouts. By adding multiple certs to one order (e.g., 4 x $50), even though they are in the same cart, the certs will post as separate transactions and still generate a credit for each.
- eCert purchases may initially authorize (show pending) as ticket purchases before posting to (finalize on) your statement. Multiple-eCert orders may authorize the combined value as a single pending ticket purchase. Don't worry; they'll post later as separate eCert charges in the qualifying amounts.
- eCerts are generated instantly, but the codes are not valid for use until 72 hours after purchase, so don't order expecting to use them in a pinch.
- A maximum of three eCerts may be redeemed per online transaction. Splitting a round-trip into two one-ways will allow you to use additional eCerts, but in some cases two one-ways may cost more than a single roundtrip so compare carefully to decide whether using more than 3 certs on a single trip is worthwhile.
- If purchasing a ticket for more than 1 person, splitting the purchase into a separate transaction for each person would also allow the use of more than 3 certs on a single trip at (usually) no additional cost. However this could have an adverse effect on ability to upgrade, upgrade priority, and other elite benefits, and on the likelihood of being reaccommodated on the same flight in the event of a flight cancellation.
- There is one recent REPORT of a telephone agent allowing more than three eCerts to be used when purchasing one ticket.
- eCerts do not expire. Their T&Cs are listed here.
Airline fee $250/$200/$100 reimbursement reports: DL only (2015-2019)
Aug 7, 2019, 11:08 am
#1861
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL, OZ, AC, AS, AA, BA, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, IHG
Posts: 19,896
That site says, "This site is powered by CashStar" on the bottom. I'd bet if you completed the transaction the charge would come from CashStar, which is a gift card processor and not Delta. Have not seen any data points though. When you say you 'grabbed' one does that mean you could take them without paying on the spot? Can you go to the site and put the number in and see what options it gives you to load on it? I'll be in the SkyClub this weekend and will look for them and report back as well.
Aug 7, 2019, 2:48 pm
#1862
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 2
Data Point:
Purchased $306 roundtrip ticket. Split payment w/ $50 gift card, $256 Hilton Aspire. Purchase coded as "Additional Collection". It's been 10 days and the meter has not moved and no reimbursement posted.
Thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
Purchased $306 roundtrip ticket. Split payment w/ $50 gift card, $256 Hilton Aspire. Purchase coded as "Additional Collection". It's been 10 days and the meter has not moved and no reimbursement posted.
Thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated.
Aug 7, 2019, 3:08 pm
#1863
Join Date: May 2019
Posts: 7
Refundable ticket canceled.
After two days, DELTA issued $296 eCredit, type: Unused eTicket. Expiration: ONE year.
Aug 7, 2019, 3:14 pm
#1864
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: New Orleans, LA
Programs: AA Platinum, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 272
What was the routing on the ticket?
Aug 7, 2019, 4:02 pm
#1865
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL Scattered Smothered Covered Medallion, Some hotel & car stuff, Kroger Plus Card
Posts: 10,745
Aug 7, 2019, 4:27 pm
#1866
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,039
Regards
Aug 7, 2019, 9:07 pm
#1867
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: USA
Posts: 53
From everything I've read on this thread, you will NOT get reimbursed. The "additional collection" has to beless than $250for this to work when splitting with gift card purchases.
Aug 8, 2019, 12:28 am
#1869
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 2
That should work - I managed to do it unintentionally when cancelling a ~$70 flight that was partially paid for with a gift card. Delta refunded my $20 and Amex triggered a $20 airline credit.
Aug 8, 2019, 1:00 am
#1870
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: L.A.
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium Elite, Delta Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 1,135
Aug 8, 2019, 6:13 pm
#1871
Join Date: Jan 2019
Posts: 3
Quick DP and tip for others booking tickets using Gift card + Amex. You should try not to book multiple tickets together because the gift card will apply towards one single fare and the second fare will count only as a regular purchase and will not be eligible for reimbursement. In my specific case, I booked two tickets for $170 each and used $150 GC. The charges that hit my Amex were for $20 Additional booking fee and $170 Delta regular fare. I would have lost out but I was able to cancel the ticket because it was within the 24 hour cancellation window.
Aug 10, 2019, 2:47 pm
#1873
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 1
8/5 - bought two DL $136.60 for a total of $273.20 for both tickets and using a $50 GC. Total came down to $223.20 in one transaction.
the way the two tickets posted as two transactions was interesting. First transaction was for $136.60 and second was for $86.60.
8/7 - $86.20 posted as Amex airline fee reimbursement. Although my account shows 8/7, it feels like it showed up on 8/9 as I didn’t see it sooner.
Aug 11, 2019, 11:27 am
#1874
Join Date: Aug 2016
Programs: WOH Globalist | IHG Platinum | HH Gold | MB Gold
Posts: 230
That doesn't seem very refundable to me. Isn't the whole point of a refundable ticket to be able to get your money back?
Aug 11, 2019, 8:31 pm
#1875
Join Date: Apr 2015
Programs: Wyndham Diamond
Posts: 874
My own datapoint:
Aug 7 (Wed): purchased 2 tickets separately on primary and AU personal Plat card; $293 each. Used $150 Delta gift card on each ticket (so $300 gift cards used total). The pending charge for each ticket is $143.
Aug 10 (Sat): Meter moved
Aug 11 (Sun): Reimbursements posted: $143 and $57. Posted date is Aug 10 but the credits did not show up until today.
Aug 7 (Wed): purchased 2 tickets separately on primary and AU personal Plat card; $293 each. Used $150 Delta gift card on each ticket (so $300 gift cards used total). The pending charge for each ticket is $143.
Aug 10 (Sat): Meter moved
Aug 11 (Sun): Reimbursements posted: $143 and $57. Posted date is Aug 10 but the credits did not show up until today.